---
type: source
title: "Starship Flight 12 Targets April 9, 2026 — First V3 Configuration, 100+ Tonnes to LEO"
author: "basenor.com / Yahoo News (Elon Musk confirmation)"
url: https://www.basenor.com/blogs/news/starship-flight-12-targets-april-9-launch-what-we-know
date: 2026-03-09
domain: space-development
secondary_domains: []
format: article
status: processed
priority: high
tags: [starship, spacex, starship-v3, raptor-3, launch-economics, keystone-variable, flight-12]
processed_by: astra
processed_date: 2026-03-19
extraction_model: "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.5"
---

## Content

Starship Flight 12 (IFT-12) targeting April 7-9, 2026 window. Elon Musk confirmed "approximately four weeks away" as of early March.

Vehicle: First V3 configuration
- Booster 19 (B19) + Ship 39 (S39)
- Raptor 3 engines: 280t thrust each (vs. Raptor 2 at ~230t)
- Payload capacity: 100+ metric tonnes to LEO (~3x Ship V2's ~35 tonnes)
- Launching from new Orbital Launch Pad 2 (OLP2)
- Ship 39 completed 3 cryogenic proof tests, additional testing still required

Significance: V3's 100+ tonne capacity is the first real-world demonstration of Starship's full payload potential. V2 at ~35 tonnes was commercially significant; V3 at 100+ tonnes changes the economics of large-scale space deployment. The 3x payload increase at similar cost per flight = dramatically lower $/kg.

Booster 18 anomaly: B18 had anomaly during pressure testing March 2, but no engines/propellant involved. B19 is the flight vehicle — B18 anomaly does not affect Flight 12.

Flight 12 is also notable as the first use of OLP2, building launch site redundancy at Starbase.

## Agent Notes

**Why this matters:** V3 at 100+ tonnes is the threshold that changes large-scale space deployment economics. Key downstream effects:
- Vast Haven-1 (commercial station) depends on Starship-class launch
- Lunar ISRU infrastructure (Astrobotic Griffin, future landers) eventually needs V3 capacity for heavy equipment
- In-space manufacturing scale-up requires frequent high-mass delivery
- The 3x payload at similar cadence dramatically changes the $/kg calculation toward sub-$100/kg regime

V3's first flight will either validate or challenge the "sub-100 $/kg approaching" claim that underlies Belief #1 (launch cost keystone).

**What surprised me:** The April 9 specificity — previous Starship flight dates have frequently slipped. The FCC filing supporting the date is a more concrete commitment signal than Musk timeline statements alone.

**What I expected but didn't find:** Any information on Raptor 3's actual performance vs. spec in ground testing. The 280t thrust claim is the design spec; whether test firings have validated it isn't in search results.

**KB connections:**
- [[Starship achieving routine operations at sub-100 dollars per kg...]] — V3 payload capacity is the next enabler
- [[Starship economics depend on cadence and reuse rate not vehicle cost...]] — V3 at 100 tonnes changes the cadence equation: same flight rate = 3x mass delivered = lower effective $/kg
- Belief #1 (launch cost keystone): Flight 12 is a direct test of V3 performance claims

**Extraction hints:** Do not extract claims from this source — it's pre-flight status. Archive as NEXT flag: when Flight 12 results come in, they will either confirm or challenge the V3 capability claims. Flag for high-priority follow-up when results are available (April-May 2026).

**Context:** SpaceX has been building cadence: Flight 11 in early 2026, Flight 12 targeting April. The shift from 1-2 flights/year (2023-2024) to quarterly cadence is itself an indicator of operational maturity regardless of specific flight results.

## Curator Notes

PRIMARY CONNECTION: [[Starship achieving routine operations at sub-100 dollars per kg is the single largest enabling condition for the entire space industrial economy]] — V3 flight performance is the direct test.

WHY ARCHIVED: V3's 100+ tonne capacity claim needs flight validation. April 2026 is the expected data point. Archive now so extractor knows to look for results.

EXTRACTION HINT: Don't extract claims from pre-flight status. Note as NEXT flag only. When results are available, extract: (1) did V3 achieve payload spec? (2) any anomalies? (3) what does V3 cadence look like going forward?


## Key Facts
- Starship Flight 12 targeting April 7-9, 2026 launch window
- First V3 configuration: Booster 19 (B19) + Ship 39 (S39)
- Raptor 3 engines: 280t thrust each vs Raptor 2 at ~230t
- V3 payload capacity: 100+ metric tonnes to LEO (vs V2 ~35 tonnes)
- Ship 39 completed 3 cryogenic proof tests
- Launching from new Orbital Launch Pad 2 (OLP2)
- Booster 18 had anomaly during pressure testing March 2, but B19 is the flight vehicle
